The Time (August 25, 1982) – What Time Is It? Album Release USA
- GlamSlamEscape
- Aug 25, 1982
- 3 min read
What Time Is It? is the second full‑length studio album by The Time, released in August 1982, thirteen months after their debut. As with their first album, the project was largely written, recorded, and produced by Prince, with no instrumental or songwriting input from band members other than Morris Day, although all members were credited.
Four of the six songs were credited to The Time and two to Morris Day, but Prince wrote all six tracks, with lyrics on one written by Dez Dickerson.
The album was recorded in two phases: Gigolos Get Lonely Too, The Walk, and Wild And Loose were completed in mid‑January 1982, while 777‑9311, Onedayi’mgonnabesomebody, and I Don’t Wanna Leave You were recorded in May or June 1982. Morris Day provided lead vocals (and drums on three tracks), while Prince performed background vocals and all instruments.
Additional songs recorded for possible inclusion included Jerk Out, International Lover, Bold Generation, and Colleen.
Three singles were released — 777‑9311, The Walk, and Gigolos Get Lonely Too — and The Time supported the album on Prince’s 1999 Tour. The album reached number 26 on the US Billboard Pop Chart and number 2 on the US Billboard Soul LP’s Chart. It was certified gold on 3 November 1982 for 500,000 copies shipped in the USA.
In 2015, the album was digitally remastered and reissued in Japan as part of the Warner 80’s Soul Classics Best Collection 1000 Series.
Track Listing (LP Format)
Side one
• Wild And Loose — 7:32
• 777‑9311 — 7:57
• Onedayi’mgonnabesomebody — 2:27
Side two
• The Walk — 9:30
• Gigolos Get Lonely Too — 4:40
• I Don’t Wanna Leave You — 6:30
Total length: 38:36
Released: 25 August 1982
Recorded: January – May/June 1982 (Wild And Loose recorded July 1981)
Studios: Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA; Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA
Genre: Synth‑funk; Minneapolis sound
Length: 38:36
Labels: Warner Bros.
Producer: Prince (credited as The Starr ★ Company; credited to Morris Day and The Starr Company)
Released: 25 August 1982
Recorded: January – May/June 1982 (Wild And Loose recorded July 1981)
Studios: Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA; Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA
Length: 38:36
Labels: Warner Bros. Producer: Prince (credited as The Starr ★ Company; credited to Morris Day and The Starr Company)
Chronology: The Time (1981) → What Time Is It? (1982) → Ice Cream Castle (1984)
Tape Cassette Release (MC)
All songs written by Prince, except where indicated.
Side 1
• Wild And Loose — Prince, Dez Dickerson — 7:32
• 777‑9311 — Prince — 7:57
• Onedayi’mgonnabesomebody — Prince — 2:27
Side 2
• The Walk — Prince — 9:30
• Gigolos Get Lonely Too — Prince — 4:40
• I Don’t Wanna Leave You — Prince — 6:30
CD Release
(first edition 1987)
• Wild And Loose — 7:32
• 777‑9311 — 7:57
• Onedayi’mgonnabesomebody — 2:27
• The Walk — 9:30
• Gigolos Get Lonely Too — 4:40
• I Don’t Wanna Leave You — 6:30
Personnel (Full Track‑Specific Credits)
Morris Day
• lead vocals
• drums on Wild And Loose, The Walk, Gigolos Get Lonely Too
Prince
• background vocals
• all instruments (uncredited)
Jesse Johnson
• credited for guitar and vocals
• appears on background vocals (Wild And Loose)
• guitar on Gigolos Get Lonely Too
Jellybean Johnson
• credited for drums/percussion • likely background vocals only
Terry Lewis
• credited for bass/vocals • likely background vocals on Wild And Loose, 777‑9311
Jimmy Jam
• credited for keyboards/vocals • likely background vocals on Wild And Loose
Monte Moir
• credited for keyboards/vocals • likely background vocals on Wild And Loose
Susan Moonsie / Kim Upsher
• background vocals on Wild And Loose
Technical
• Prince — producer, arranger (as The Starr Company), recording/mixing engineer (as Jamie Starr)
• Don Batts — recording/mixing engineer
• Peggy McCreary — recording/mixing engineer
• Bernie Grundman — mastering
• Al Beaulieu — photography
Charts
America
Chart | Peak Position | Weeks in Chart |
USA: Billboard 200 | 26 | 33 |
USA: Billboard Soul LP’s | 2 | 38 |
Certifications
Region — Certification — Units
USA — Gold — 500,000 (RIAA; 3 Nov. 1982)
Singles from What Time Is It?
SOURCES Discogs, 45 World, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts, Prince Vault, Sleeveographia2 All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
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